All in Favor? Determinants of Nonprofit Employees' Strategic Change Commitment and Change Support

ABSTRACT Although there is extensive literature on (strategic) change content, nonprofit research on whether and how perceived aspects of strategic change communication impact change‐related attitudes of nonprofit employees largely remains in the dark. This study addresses this gap by focusing on the predictors of strategic change commitment and behavioral support for strategic change. Drawing on survey data collected from 115 employees within a Belgian human service nonprofit that changed its goal framework in the wake of an organizational merger, we apply self‐determination theory to hypothesize that a participative communication climate, interpersonal pressures, and perceived ability to contribute impact nonprofit employees' strategic change commitment. Change commitment, in turn, acts as a catalyst for employees' willingness to implement proposed changes (i.e., behavioral support for strategic change). Our findings show that (1) about 64% of the variance in employee commitment to strategic change is explained by our independent variables, with (2) participative communication being the most potent antecedent. Based on these results we suggest that proactive, yet comprehensive strategic change processes in a nonprofit setting are best approached as a collective effort where all relevant stakeholders ought to be involved.